What Is The Best Pocket Trumpet?

What is considered the "best pocket trumpet" really depends on what you plan to use it for.

Are you looking for a novelty or gag instrument? Maybe you are a working musician and looking for a small practice horn to take on the road. Or maybe you are looking for a professional grade pocket trumpet, one you might actually play in a performance.

Listed below are 10 of the best novelty, practice and professional pocket trumpets. Included in the table are make, model, bell and bore diameter, grade, rating and relative price of each pocket trumpet. Click on any of the columns to sort the data to help make your decision easier.

Pocket Trumpet Parameters and Table Notes

Novelty pocket trumpets are just that, a novelty instrument. The quality of novelty pocket trumpet varies quite a bit.

Practice pocket trumpets are good quality instruments typically used by working musicians for practice.

Professional pocket trumpets represent high-end pocket trumpets that are suitable for use as an auxiliary instrument during a performance.

Bell and Bore diameter - Pocket trumpets with a larger bell and bore diameter tend to have better intonation and range. They also accommodate a standard size trumpet mute.

Rating - The average user rating on Amazon.com. This can be very helpful in deciding if people are satisfied with their purchase.

Price - These are approximate prices on Amazon.com. These change frequently based on availability, special promotions, and more. But generally speaking: ($) under $150, ($$) $150 to $500, ($$$) $500 to $1,000, and ($$$$) $1,000+.

What is a Pocket Trumpet

A pocket trumpet is a miniature version of the standard trumpet. It is supposed to play the same B flat tone with the variations and range that a normal sized trumpet can.

Advantages of a Pocket Trumpet

A pocket trumpet is preferable in many circumstances where you would need a very portable and thus a smaller version of a standard trumpet. It is not uncommon for veteran trumpeters to have a favorite pocket trumpet that they carry with them for practice purposes. You may find pocket trumpets being used extensively at parades and similar events. You may also have a pocket trumpet for novelty purpose.

Disadvantages of a Pocket Trumpet

The biggest knock against pocket trumpets, at least the less expensive models, is they tend to suffer from poor intonation and a limited range. This is particular true for models made with a smaller diameter bell. You'll note in the table above that the higher grade pocket trumpets tend to have a larger bell. As with most things, you get what you pay for when buying a pocket trumpet.

Best Pocket Trumpet Brands

There aren’t many brands that make a pocket trumpet which makes choosing one a bit easier than buying a standard size trumpet. Jupiter, Carol and Kanstul are very popular for their mid- to high-end pocket trumpet models. They are elegant, aesthetically appealing and have smooth valves and slides. They are also known for being easy to play with good intonation and range.

Best Cheap Pocket Trumpet

If you are looking for an inexpensive pocket trumpet, perhaps for a student to practice with at home, then the Mendini pocket trumpet is the way to go.

This is the best selling pocket trumpet on Amazon.com and has over 26 five star reviews. The Mendini pocket trumpet retails for around $130 with free shipping available from Amazon.

Reviewers of this horn are pleasantly surprised at how well it plays for an inexpensive pocket trumpet. It has a bright tone that is not quite as deep and rich as a full-sized trumpet but still sounds great. Includes a nice case, tuner, valve oil, soft polishing cloth and even a pair of white gloves!

Best Practice Pocket Trumpet

If you are looking for a portable practice horn to take with you on gigs, the Jupiter pocket trumpet is a great deal and travel partner.

If you dig through the various trumpet forums, you'll find the Jupiter pocket trumpet comes highly recommended by practicing musicians. The only knock against this horn is that some reviewers have noted that is does not have the same range as a some of the pro-level pocket trumpets.

The Jupiter pocket trumpet will set you back about $800 bucks but is a high quality instrument that will last.

Best Professional Pocket Trumpet

For a pro-level pocket trumpet, the Carol pocket trumpet is hard to beat. It has a full sound, good intonation, is open and can blow, and has great valves. It also has a full-size bell and adjustable 1st and 3rd valve slides (unlike most other budget-priced pocket trumpets). What more can you ask for!

Available in a Black Nickel or Gold Lacquer finish, the Carol pocket trumpet usually runs about $900.

7 thoughts on “What Is The Best Pocket Trumpet?”

I have been interested in the Jupiter 516 Pocket Trumpet for awhile. I see that the horn pictured as a Jupiter 516 in this site is actually a Jupiter 416. The Jupiter 516 has a large bell and a different wrap. I would like to see a review of the 516……

Not even close on the best professional pocket trumpets. The Marcinkiewicz is awesome. Yep, it is about $5000. Probably not for the beginner! I give it a number 1, the Kanstul, number 2, and the old Calicchio’s number 3, although you won’t find a new one.